A Collector of Valuable Treasure!

Spring is in the air! The signs of spring have shown up with the explosion of the state flower, Texas Blue Bonnets, and I have commenced spring cleaning.  Well, actually, that's not true...I was forced to organize my closet, because we were in the process of replacing our bedroom carpet.


In order to prepare for carpet installation it meant removing everything that sat on the floor of our respective closets...under our beds, and the organized piles we have in various corners of the room.


Before I talk about the treasures I discovered, I would like to first interject, that when my mother passed away 10 years ago, my siblings and I were asked by my dad to go through her possessions.  My dad asked us to take what was meaningful and donate the rest to charity.


I remember coming across several beautiful hankies, and next to the hankies I found some very special pieces of paper that were carefully folded and placed in her small lingerie drawer. As I unfolded a few pieces of yellow, worn Big Chief Tablet paper, I recognized a few of these letters written in pencil had my handwriting on them.  What I discovered was that my mom kept little notes from all six of us.  

Sara used my Mom's hanky around her bridal bouquet as her "something old"!
Ooohlala Floral did Sara's wedding flowers, look for her blog in my listing!

Sara's entire bridal bouquet

My mom with her kiddos

Several of the notes were apology notes to her...and one was just a "Thank you for being my mom" letter.  Reading the letters I wrote to my mother from my childhood--I felt a sudden closeness at that moment--I don't know that I could really recreate that feel again.


As I moved the tubs of "stuff" out of my closet, out from under our bed--each tub labeled with one of our kids' names on it--and while the beautiful carpeting was being installed I did it...Joe didn't want me to do it...he knew if I did it, productivity would vanish, but I did it, I opened the tubs in the middle of the living room floor.  Suddenly I felt like it was "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…"  as I came across TREASURES!  
First came the clay figures each of the kids made for me!

Clearly you can see a softball mitt with a place for a ring to sit (Jenna),
another beautifully decorated ring holder (Sara), and a Stegosaurus (ah, Adam)!

Next came the daisies...One year the Art Teacher had each grade level paint daisies.  Sara was a 5th grader, Adam in 3rd and Jenna a 1st grader...each grade level added different elements to their painting.

From Left to Right the artists:  Sara, Adam, Jenna

I found an eclectic group of treasures from years gone by...poems they made up, books they wrote, homemade cards they created, art work which all are still masterpieces...

I guess I expected these mementos would be more meaningful in my Golden Years...sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair reminiscing with Joe and grandkids about the early years of the Gautille Three.  But right now, in this moment, as I continue to experience the chaos of finding my role as a mother of a daughter about to become a mom, mothering my adult children living at home--moving from disciplinarian to observer of independence, from compliance to guidance--the tub of treasures reminded me that Joe and I did our job as parents for our children.  Now we move to the role of advisors to our three.  Letting go is hard.  I don't think I am doing it very well...but I continue to work on it!

I hope when our kids discover the 15 tubs of "stuff" we have saved neatly for each of them--they feel that moment much like I felt when I read my apology note to my mom for "sassing" her over a dress I didn't want to wear to a party--that rush of love.  I know that while I have made (and continue to make) many mistakes as a parent...I hope forgiveness will also overwhelm each of them for any hurts I caused them.

I Lasso the Magnificent Expression of Love
Preserved in Tubs!